Many of you would think, "Okay Jenn's a stay at home mom and to only one kid for that matter, she must have a lot of free time on her hands." Well that is completely and one hundred percent wrong. Especially since she doesn't have a dishwasher or washer and dryer. I hardly ever get to take naps either. I mean it is truly rare. I am lucky to even be here writing this at 11:02 P.M. when I should be in bed! Oh well, maybe all that chocolate cake I ate is keeping me up, but oh it was yummy!
Anyway I would love to be writing more for you all as of late and getting you updated on Judah's Schedule, Diaper Brand Experiences, and other topics I am anxious to talk about but here's a tid bit of why I've been so, well, unavailable with very little time to myself:
1. My house has been a disaster since post Christmas Break!
2. I have been working on a beautiful present for my cousin-in-law's baby shower (Yay another baby in the family, I'm so excited), which required a lot of running around to different stores and not to mention creating the gift. I will post pictures of that later, I've got to be careful for now in case she reads this.
3. Two hours worth of driving in one day to do three weeks worth of laundry. Let me put that into perspective for you. That is nearly one month of dirty clothes that needed to be washed, dried, folded, & put away!
4. Speaking of driving, well no cars actually, my husband's car got side swiped on our street in the middle of the night while we were sleeping. Too bad that wasn't a dream. But I know the Lord will help us. So needless to say there's been a lot of running around with that. We're still waiting to hear if its totaled. Yea, it was that bad.
5. Last but not least, which is kind of a good thing too, my dear husband Timm drove half way to work and came home, due to a very unexpected school cancellation (he works an hour away) so therefore, his presence took precedence today, it was a special treat.
I must mention though, the highlight of my week was going to this awesome restaurant called the Pasta House with Timm and Judah. I think I'll be going there for my birthday. The food was delicious. I had ordered Butternut Ravioli in Maple Syrup Cream Sauce. Mmm!
Now I must sleep and attempt to clean the rest of my house tomorrow.
Love,
Me
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Angelcare Baby Monitor: You Let Me Breathe Easy
To all the moms and dads who check to see if their newborn, infant, okay maybe even toddler is breathing, here is a wonderful product. The Angelcare Baby Monitor was recommended to my husband by one of his co-workers just as our due date was getting pretty near, so we quickly added it to our registry, because whether or not if we got it, we'd get that lovely 10% off afterward. Blessedly we did receive this at my baby shower and I am forever thankful to the giver. The monitor not only detects sounds coming from the baby's room, like all other monitors, but comes with a pad you put under the crib mattress - not under the baby, or semi-under the baby, but entirely under the crib mattress, therefore the baby doesn't feel any princess and the pea discomfort - to detect the baby's breathing. This pad is very sensitive to any movement and will sound a very loud beeping and vibrating alarm if there is no "movement/breathing" for twenty seconds.
There are numerous models to count in various price ranges, none which will break the bank either. My husband and I received the deluxe monitor, which comes with two speakers with digital displays, two charger bases, the sensor pad, and the monitor (in the shape of an angel, how cute) that stays in the baby's room.
Semi-Drawbacks: You will need a piece of board of some kind so that the monitor pad will lay perfectly flat beneath the mattress. Very rarely you will get a false alarm if the baby travels too far away from the sensor pad during their sleep travels.
Bottom line: You will find little use for video monitors after using this product. There are many other features to the Angelcare Monitor Deluxe including setting temperature controls. The sound quality is great with next to zero static and you can rest peacefully knowing your baby is breathing (or rest as peacefully as the baby will let you).
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| This is the specific monitor package we have. It's wonderful. |
There are numerous models to count in various price ranges, none which will break the bank either. My husband and I received the deluxe monitor, which comes with two speakers with digital displays, two charger bases, the sensor pad, and the monitor (in the shape of an angel, how cute) that stays in the baby's room.
Semi-Drawbacks: You will need a piece of board of some kind so that the monitor pad will lay perfectly flat beneath the mattress. Very rarely you will get a false alarm if the baby travels too far away from the sensor pad during their sleep travels.
Bottom line: You will find little use for video monitors after using this product. There are many other features to the Angelcare Monitor Deluxe including setting temperature controls. The sound quality is great with next to zero static and you can rest peacefully knowing your baby is breathing (or rest as peacefully as the baby will let you).
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Postpartum Hair Loss
I think this is a topic that not a lot of women like to think about, but I am writing to let all the women out there that are dealing with this (or soon will be) that you are absolutely not alone. I am currently shedding mounds and mounds of once beautiful black hair only to watch it all end up on the floor, down the drain, or in the hands of my quick fingered 6-month-old. As a result I found it best to cut my hair short(er) and sweep often. I keep telling my husband "I think I'm going bald", but the truth is I'm not.
During pregnancy your hair goes into a resting stage, as well as continuing its regular growth, therefore when you are no longer pregnant and your estrogen levels drop your body begins shedding that once luxurious hair, the dreaded shedding stage. The shedding may seem worse than you remember before you were pregnant because you are shedding nine months of rested hair along with the usual one hundred hairs you lose per day, yikes! The shedding may seem more dramatic for women who have (or once had) very full thick hair like myself and also for women who have long hair, which I also did until I of course cut it.
There is good news! Somewhere between the sixth and twelfth month postpartum your hair should be back to its pre-pregnancy thickness. In between your hair falling out and that day you get your normal hair back you will notice regrowth, usually along the hair line. It may look as though you tried to cut your own bangs. As for me, I started shedding hair at the latter half of my fourth month postpartum and I am still shedding, noticing plenty of hair on my pillow when I wake up each morning. Just now at my nearly seventh month postpartum am I seeing some regrowth of my hair. It feels like a long process to me but may not be the same for everyone. The main thing to remember is postpartum hair loss happens to nearly every woman who has a baby and when you go through it you are definitely not alone.
Some Websites About Postpartum Hair Loss:
Postpartum Hair Loss
"What..." Questions on Postpartum Hair Loss
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| My trusty hair brush, with surprisingly not that much hair in it. |
During pregnancy your hair goes into a resting stage, as well as continuing its regular growth, therefore when you are no longer pregnant and your estrogen levels drop your body begins shedding that once luxurious hair, the dreaded shedding stage. The shedding may seem worse than you remember before you were pregnant because you are shedding nine months of rested hair along with the usual one hundred hairs you lose per day, yikes! The shedding may seem more dramatic for women who have (or once had) very full thick hair like myself and also for women who have long hair, which I also did until I of course cut it.
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| The regrowth of my new hair. |
There is good news! Somewhere between the sixth and twelfth month postpartum your hair should be back to its pre-pregnancy thickness. In between your hair falling out and that day you get your normal hair back you will notice regrowth, usually along the hair line. It may look as though you tried to cut your own bangs. As for me, I started shedding hair at the latter half of my fourth month postpartum and I am still shedding, noticing plenty of hair on my pillow when I wake up each morning. Just now at my nearly seventh month postpartum am I seeing some regrowth of my hair. It feels like a long process to me but may not be the same for everyone. The main thing to remember is postpartum hair loss happens to nearly every woman who has a baby and when you go through it you are definitely not alone.
And if you were feeling bad at all about your hair, this picture should make you feel better. Enjoy!
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| My husband, Timm. Thank you for making me feel beautiful. |
Some Websites About Postpartum Hair Loss:
Postpartum Hair Loss
"What..." Questions on Postpartum Hair Loss
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Homemade Sushi: A Culinary Adventure
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| I used smoked salmon, crab meat, carrots, & avocado in top left roll. |
Over the past three years for Christmas, I have received not one, not two, but three sushi making kits. Initially not having much ambition to make the stuff, thinking that it would just be "too hard to make", after three years I figured I should at least give it a try. It was worth it. Now these photos, which were taken by my wonderful and loving husband, were not my first attempt at making these delectable morsels but rather my third or fourth. I did get better with practice and with many random trips to the grocery store (mostly done by Timm, thank you I love you).
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| I also used cucumbers & cream cheese in the other maki roll and hand rolls. |
If you want to make sushi at home get good ingredients, it makes a huge difference. The basic tools for sushi making at home can be found in a sushi making kit, found at a store like Barnes & Nobles, or you can shop for individual pieces or full kits online. The advantage of the kits at Barnes & Nobles is that they come with books that give you step by step instructions as well as many ideas for not only sushi rolls, but soups and even desert sushi (something I will definitely try later when I gain some more confidence). If you are a visual learner like myself you can look for the kits that come with DVD's or look for sushi making videos on YouTube.com. But try to make sure they are instructed by professionals and not just anybody, such as this one. I encourage anyone who wants to try this at home to not be afraid, it is okay if they come out looking horrible because they will definitely still taste good. You just need to make sure that you have quality ingredients and a little bit of time. Enjoy and have fun!
Some sites on making sushi at home:
Make My Sushi
How to Make Sushi: Step by Step Video
Friday, January 7, 2011
FMF: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs - Rated PG - 90 min - Released 2009
There are only a few movies that I have come across that are truly clean throughout the entirety of the film; this is definitely one of those films. If you have ever read the story book version of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs you may be a little disappointed with the adaptation of the movie, or perhaps not. I would consider the movie to be loosely based on the book, at best, simply because the movie is presenting the idea of raining food as a reality and not as a tall tale a grandfather tells to his dear grandchildren before they hit the sack. Rather, this movie is about an amateur, yet ambitious, inventor named Flint Lockwood, whose crazy past inventions have earned him the reputation of being a "Weird dude" and a "Shenanigan-izer." His one goal in life is to create an invention that will help save the townspeople of Swallow Falls of their dull food menu, sardines. Inevitably Flint and his trusty sidekick Steve, who brings a good portion of comic relief to the table, invent the FLDSMDFR (you'll have to watch the film for that one), which turns water from the sky into food, which leads to meaty-er showers and ice cream flurries. With a few clicks on Flint's computer, his invention allows for any food of choice to rain from the sky.
All seems well as Flint is basking in the lime light of his newly renamed town Chew and Swallow, until his machine takes on a mind of its own, making the food portions much too big and rather scary for the townspeople. Flint finally realizes that he must rectify his mistake for ignoring the mutating food and save the town by destroying the machine once the love of the town turns sour. With the help of Sam Sparks, who would later become his love interest, Baby Brent, Mayor Shelbourne, and Manny, whom all add an interesting and very funny dynamic to the film, he is able to save the town and become the true hero he always wanted to be.
As I said before, this is a pretty clean movie, but if I had to pick out any questionable content there are two things that come to mind. One being when Flint's sidekick Steve rips the heart out of a Gummy Bear and screams with victory. And the other instance being when we see an extreme close up of Earl the cop flexing his buns of steel--which happens to be hysterical by the way. Overall, I'd say an appropriate viewing age would be 2 years and up.
Overall Rating: 9.5 out of 10
There are only a few movies that I have come across that are truly clean throughout the entirety of the film; this is definitely one of those films. If you have ever read the story book version of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs you may be a little disappointed with the adaptation of the movie, or perhaps not. I would consider the movie to be loosely based on the book, at best, simply because the movie is presenting the idea of raining food as a reality and not as a tall tale a grandfather tells to his dear grandchildren before they hit the sack. Rather, this movie is about an amateur, yet ambitious, inventor named Flint Lockwood, whose crazy past inventions have earned him the reputation of being a "Weird dude" and a "Shenanigan-izer." His one goal in life is to create an invention that will help save the townspeople of Swallow Falls of their dull food menu, sardines. Inevitably Flint and his trusty sidekick Steve, who brings a good portion of comic relief to the table, invent the FLDSMDFR (you'll have to watch the film for that one), which turns water from the sky into food, which leads to meaty-er showers and ice cream flurries. With a few clicks on Flint's computer, his invention allows for any food of choice to rain from the sky. 
All seems well as Flint is basking in the lime light of his newly renamed town Chew and Swallow, until his machine takes on a mind of its own, making the food portions much too big and rather scary for the townspeople. Flint finally realizes that he must rectify his mistake for ignoring the mutating food and save the town by destroying the machine once the love of the town turns sour. With the help of Sam Sparks, who would later become his love interest, Baby Brent, Mayor Shelbourne, and Manny, whom all add an interesting and very funny dynamic to the film, he is able to save the town and become the true hero he always wanted to be.
As I said before, this is a pretty clean movie, but if I had to pick out any questionable content there are two things that come to mind. One being when Flint's sidekick Steve rips the heart out of a Gummy Bear and screams with victory. And the other instance being when we see an extreme close up of Earl the cop flexing his buns of steel--which happens to be hysterical by the way. Overall, I'd say an appropriate viewing age would be 2 years and up.Overall Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
A Schedule for Judah: Part 1
Now that the holidays have come and gone, so has Judah's schedule. The poor little guy dealt with a lot these past two weeks and many will testify he handled it all extremely well. Between the traveling, sleeping in many unfamiliar places, and meeting lots of familiar and new people he was bound to get overwhelmed at some point. I think it all came to a head Saturday night after my Dad left when we couldn't get Judah to fall asleep. It was already 8pm when we tried to put him down but he refused to sleep until nearly 10pm. His behavior was very strange because it seemed he had forgotten how to fall asleep on his own, in just one night, a skill I thought he'd mastered weeks ago. Can that happen? Well it did and the past few nights have been rough. So here is the schedule I have carefully designed around our weekly activities and with God's help will hopefully adhere to. This is considered to be a parent led schedule.
Mind you, I did leave a half hour leeway in between some of the times because I know days won't always be perfect, but I am going to keep the eating schedule as strict as possible.
Now I chose to stick with a stricter schedule (meaning nap times & eating times) to make our days more predictable for Judah, productive for me, and practical for the both of us. I had gone the way of feeding on demand and putting him down for naps only when he was tired, but this was not working for us and was only resulting in many sleep-less nights (we always manage to get some sleep.) Since I stay at home, I consider this to be my job and most jobs have schedules, or at least a beginning and an ending time. My good friend Rachel also reminded me a while back that God is a God of order and that is what I desire, is some order.
*Important Note: I am not saying to wait until exact times to meet the needs of your child. Of course if they are hungry or tired, feed them or put them to sleep, but the idea for me was to try and reach these times by either adding or subtracting say 15 minutes at a time so that eventually he will be hungry and tired at the same times everyday. Also note, this is an okay schedule for a 6-month-old. I would not use this for an infant who obviously needs to eat & sleep much more often. The links below should be able to help you create a schedule at any age, when you are ready. Like I said before, I carefully constructed this schedule by doing research, comparing notes with sample schedules, and trying to make these times coincide with our weekly activities.
Some Websites on Scheduling Your Baby:
Baby Schedules
Should I put my baby on a schedule?
Mind you, I did leave a half hour leeway in between some of the times because I know days won't always be perfect, but I am going to keep the eating schedule as strict as possible.
7:30/8:00 a.m. ------- wake up, diaper & outfit change, vitamins
8:00 a.m.----------------- nurse
9/9:30-10/10:30 a.m.- nap (Relax & Read my Bible)
11:00 a.m.--------------- nurse & solids
12:00-1:00 p.m.------- nap (Clean up around the house)
2:00 p.m.---------------nurse
2:30/3-3:30/4 p.m.--- nap (Start Dinner)
5:00 p.m.--------------- nurse
6:00 p.m.--------------- solids
7:00 p.m.--------------- nurse & night time routine
7:30 p.m.--------------- bedtime
Now I chose to stick with a stricter schedule (meaning nap times & eating times) to make our days more predictable for Judah, productive for me, and practical for the both of us. I had gone the way of feeding on demand and putting him down for naps only when he was tired, but this was not working for us and was only resulting in many sleep-less nights (we always manage to get some sleep.) Since I stay at home, I consider this to be my job and most jobs have schedules, or at least a beginning and an ending time. My good friend Rachel also reminded me a while back that God is a God of order and that is what I desire, is some order.
*Important Note: I am not saying to wait until exact times to meet the needs of your child. Of course if they are hungry or tired, feed them or put them to sleep, but the idea for me was to try and reach these times by either adding or subtracting say 15 minutes at a time so that eventually he will be hungry and tired at the same times everyday. Also note, this is an okay schedule for a 6-month-old. I would not use this for an infant who obviously needs to eat & sleep much more often. The links below should be able to help you create a schedule at any age, when you are ready. Like I said before, I carefully constructed this schedule by doing research, comparing notes with sample schedules, and trying to make these times coincide with our weekly activities.
Some Websites on Scheduling Your Baby:
Baby Schedules
Should I put my baby on a schedule?
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Judah's First New Years
Judah had a wonderful first New Years Eve as he partied with everyone downstairs at the Santos' as we all awaited the new year to arrive. For his parents, it was a night of good food, games, and laughter, but for Judah, it was a night of cruising from one set of arms to the next with each person trying to make him giggle. Some succeeded. You would think a 6-month-old would be tired that late, but no. After a short power nap, he was ready to go all night, until of course he crashed at 11 pm. Now before you think we are bad parents by keeping our kid up, trust me, he showed absolutely no signs of being tired after that nap. Here are some highlight photos from our celebratory occasion.
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| Our delicious Chinese food to celebrate the evening. |
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| Casey & Judah. |
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| "I'm just so excited I can't stop drooling!" |
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| "Index fingers are my favorite." |
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| Moments later, Blake's nose was in Judah's mouth. |
Happy Year 2011!
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